Abdominal supporter.



H. B. SHULTZ.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

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HARRY BROWN SHULTZ, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

Application filed September 7, 1911.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, HARRY BnowN SHULTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Supporters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in abdominal supporters.

Gne object of the invention is to provide a supporter of this character which will effectually support the abdomen without discomfort or undue pressure on the parts.

Another object is to provide an abdominal supporter which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efli cient in operation and having its parts adjustably connected together and so arranged as to freely yield or give with the movements of the wearer thus preventing binding or chafing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a. perspective view of the supporter showing the same applied; Fig. 2 is a front view of the supporter; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the supporter taken through the point of crossing of the abdomen engaging straps of the support on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a detail view of the inner side of a portion of one of the leg straps and the lower ends of the abdomen supporting straps.

Referring particularly to the drawings 1, 1" denotes the abdomen engaging and supporting straps, four of which are preferably provided arranged in pairs, each pair being secured at its upper end to a back or body engaging strap 2 or 2". The straps 2 may if desired be a continuation of one of each pair of the abdomen supporting straps and on the rear end of one of the straps 2 or 2 is secured a buckle or other suitable form of connection 3 which when the straps 2 and 2 are in operative position, is adapted to receive the end of the other back strap whereby said straps 2 and 2 are secured together at the back and around the Waist of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912. Serial No. 643,211.

wearer. The pairs of straps 1, 1 are crossed at a suit-able position over the abdomen of the wearer and one of the straps of each pair is inserted between the straps of the other pair at their point of crossing, thus slidably and loosely entwining the pairs of straps together.

The lower ends of the straps 1 and 1 are secured to leg or thigh engaging straps 4L and 1* each having secured to one end a buckle or other suitable connection 5 or 5 with which the opposite end is engaged whereby said straps may be adjustably fastened around the legs or thighs of the wearer. The outer member of each pair of straps 1 and 1 is of greater length than the inner member and is extended laterally at its lower end beyond the adjacent end of the inner member whereby the lower ends of the straps may be connected at different points to the leg straps as shown, thus providing a plurality of connections between the abdomen engaging straps and the leg straps whereby an increased bearing or supporting surface or area is provided for the lower or engaging portions of the straps 1, 1. This increased area or bearing surface of the straps 1, 1 and the sliding engagement of the straps upon each other at their points of crossing, prevents these straps from binding or chafing the parts and per mits the straps to yield or give with the movement of the body and legs of the wearer.

The abdomen straps and the leg straps may be of any suitable width and of any suitable material, being preferably made of elastic webbing. The pairs of abdomen straps are connected together and to the leg straps by stitching or in any other suitable manner and the ends of all connecting straps may be covered by strips 6 of cloth or other suitable material, whereby any roughness of the connected ends of the straps is covered and prevented from irritating the parts of the body with which they may come into contact.

The supporter may be constructed in different sizes and in some sizes I preferably employ supplemental supporting and connecting straps 7 formed of elastic webbing and connected at their upper ends to the lower ends of the back straps 2, 2 and at their lower ends to the leg straps 4c, ,4? adjacent to the connection therewith of the longer abdomen straps 1, 1 as shown.

An abdominal supporter constructed in accordance with my invention and as herein shown and described willeifectually support the parts without binding or causing undue pressure thereon and may be quickly and' easily applied and adjusted in position for use.

From the foregoing descriptlon taken 1n connection with the accompanying draw-- ings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explantion.

Various changes in the form, proportion and-the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a supporter of the character described, back straps disconnected at their front ends, a strap to engage each leg of the V wearer, a pair of abdomen supporting straps secured to the lower front end of the right hand back strap, and crossed over to and connected at different points with the left hand leg strap, and a pair of abdomen supporting straps secured to the lower front end lower ends to one of said leg straps, the lower ends of the abdominal straps of each pair being laterally separated and secured at different points to said leg straps.

3. An abdominal supporter comprising connected back straps, a pair of abdominal straps secured at their upper ends to the lower ends of each of said back straps, one of the members of each of said pairs of abdominal straps being inserted slidably between the members of the other pair of abdominal straps, and a leg strap secured to the ends of each pair of the abdominal straps whereby the latter are secured to the legs of the wearer.

4. An abdominal supporter comprislng adpistably connected elastlc back onbody engaging straps, .ad ustable elastic leg straps, pairs of abdomen engaging and supportingv straps secured at their upper ends to the lower ends of said back orybcdy straps, said palrs of elastic abdomen engaging straps being crossed and slidably en gaged with each other over the front of the abdomen, one strap of each of said pairs being longer than the other strap and extended at its lower end whereby the lower ends of the pairs of abdomen supporting straps may be connected at different points to said leg straps, and supplemental supporting and connecting straps secured to the lower ends of said back engaging straps and to said'leg straps.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY BROW'N SHULTZ.v WVitnesses:

E. MORRIS, G. H. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. G. 

